The Dressed Aesthetic

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City Girl

City Girl - The Dressed Aesthetic

I think sometimes we tend to find comfort in what we know – a certain vibe, a certain pace. And going outside of that comfort zone can be pretty jarring. Deep down, I think I always considered myself a city girl. You know, wise and worldly and all that. Even though the reality is, I’ve lived in a lot of different places, with varying degrees of cosmopolitan. Everything from a huge, bustling metropolis, with 8 million people crowding its streets, to a tiny fishing village, with little more than 500 people and a dairy. We’ve lived in the most isolated city…

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{Sewing} Winter Wonderland

{Sewing) Winter Wonderland - The Dressed Aesthetic

Have you ever had an idea that you immediately scoffed at? You know the one: Where, as soon as the thought forms in your head, you laugh at the absurdity… Despite the pie-in-the-sky nature of it all, you share it with your husband anyway, with the first words out of your mouth being, “I know this sounds nuts, but…” And then what if you just went and did it anyway?? If this kind of story sounds intriguing, read on….

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Citrus Christmas

Lemoncello - The Dressed Aesthetic

Truth be told, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Christmas cookies are kind of wasted on me and I’m not a fan of egg nog (it’s a wonder Santa didn’t just pass by me for my rejection of Christmas staples). Even as a kid, I could hoard my Halloween candy for months, much to my sister’s chagrin. I’m the weird girl who goes to a restaurant and says she’ll just have one bite of her husband’s dessert, and actually means it. But, if I ever do hedge away from the garlic bread and towards the dessert tray (rare,…

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Roses are Red,
Boundaries are Blue

Roses are Red. Boundaries are Blue - The Dressed Aesthetic

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been binging on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ever since the new season aired. And while swooning over the costumes and reveling in the glitz and the glam, I particularly appreciate how sassy Midge always has the perfect comeback. She has an uncanny knack for getting on stage and going off the cuff. Always ready with the appropriate one liner to zing the hecklers. Now, I’m sure having a screen writer doesn’t hurt, but there are way too many moments in life where I think of the perfect thing to say far too…

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Room to Grow

The other week I met with an industrious, charming group of freshman who were assigned to interview a faculty member whose research aligned with their career interests. We arranged a time to meet and they sat around the table, smiling politely in my direction, pens poised. One assumed the role of the scribe, another the interviewer, the others fiddled with their notebooks. And I remembered so poignantly being them, nervously shaking hands with a professor and seeing nothing but the space between where I was and where they sat.

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Wednesdays

Wednesdays - The Dressed Aesthetic

This is that very magical time of year where the trees take on a certain sparkle and tinsel starts to grace shop windows. Autumnal tones start to give way to winter whites, forest greens, and cranberry reds. So, I do as any normal vintage-loving girl would do: Fight back hard with the brightest hues I can find in my closet…

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Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy - The Dressed Aesthetic

As most of you know by now, I’m a planner. But I can’t help it when life (a little more than) occasionally goes awry. A short while back, I was set to give a rather important presentation to my Department. This was but one task on the long winding road to tenure. And I’d planned the day out oh-so-carefully. My talk was polished, but not over-rehearsed. I planned a time buffer to get to the room early to check out the IT setup. I packed adapters, and power cords, and even a backup laser pointer (should the first one fail).…

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Capsule Wardrobe

Capsule Wardrobe - The Dressed Aesthetic

More and more lately, I’ve been seeing posts about the capsule wardrobe, which is essentially a small collection of items made up of versatile, interchangeable garments that you can mix and match and create 3,765 outfits. I attribute its resurgence to the Marie-Kondo-style trimming of the fashion fat and parring down your closet to the joy-giving essentials – black pants, a pencil skirt, well worn jeans, the neutral pump. It’s your closet, cut back to a simple shell of clothing that can be worn every day and every season with a few minor changes. Hmmm… an excellent idea in theory. However,…

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Tickling the Ivories

Tickling the Ivories - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are certain garments and certain accessories that were simply meant to be together – although I can embrace a good push/pull in my styling (tough meets sweet, classic meets edgy, leather meets florals), I must admit that I’m a gal who loves her themes. My hands itch to pair gingham and strawberries or a floral print with a floral brooch with floral shoes…yeah, you get the idea. So, when I saw this vintage 1950’s piano-themed skirt pop up at Xtabay Vintage, I knew that I had its mate in the form of the most perfect Mary Frances handbag. I think…

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Pineapple Delight

Pineapple Delight - The Dressed Aesthetic

I have a semi-regular dinner with my closest girlfriends here in NC – although it can ebb and flow depending on our collective schedules, we generally converge once every two weeks or so. It’s the kind of get together that’s very low pressure – we have some insanely amazing chefs in the group who can always be counted on to cook something mouth-watering. And then there are others who very capable of instigating the imbibing. Needless to say, I’m usually in charge of wine (I’m okay with that – it’s all about embracing your strengths people!). But, we’re always looking…

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